Forget spring cleaning - redecorate.

Husband woke up on Saturday morning with a vision of tidying up the bathroom. His memory is short, it was only a few months ago we repainted the previously lime green ensuite and he spent hours moaning about painting round the vanity unit and the toilet... So we went and got lost in one of those horrendously big hardware stores (where I got so bamboozled by the range of items for sale that I never picked up the thing I have been intending to buy for ages - a garden seat) and came out with some paint, a range of towel rails, a shower door (to replace the mouldy shower curtain), a new shower fitting, and considerably less money.

We then went home and put plaster in the holes in the walls and sanded the whole thing down. The first coat of paint went on at about 10 pm last night.

Work continued this morning but I opted for marital harmony and left him to it. In a small space with paint involved we are guaranteed to have a domestic.

Instead I dug over the glasshouse, carted a couple of wheelbarrows of horse manure into it and forked it over again, got the horses in and gave them a thorough brushing and was contemplating a ride but it rained so I skipped that. (This is quite sad, 25 years ago rain wouldn't have stopped me, I would have just gone bareback to save getting the saddle wet.... these days I don't ride at all without a saddle and I definitely don't ride in the rain.)

Went back inside and husband had finished the bathroom and also painted the hall which previously bore the marks of someones children running amuck with coloured pencils.

I did of course make all the appropriate noises before he got down to fitting all those shiny new accessories to the bathroom. It looks amazingly different, uncluttered, clean, modern. Needs new towels...

Then I demanded he go and admire my weedfree, manured glasshouse. He did say the right things - before he suggested it would have been easier just to put the chooks in there for a day or two.

I needed the exercise... I must have, I'm exhausted.

And still more on pest eradication

Chatting to the neighbours over the fence last night at horse feeding time. They have a new cat who is currently sorting out with our cats where he might be permitted to wander. They are doing the territory divide up fairly amiably with more glaring than fighting so will no doubt sort it out soon.

New neighbourhood cat is apparently a hunter extrodinaire who spent a great deal of yesterday guarding a rabbit hole and pouncing on anything that emerged from it. Neighbour said puddy had had four rabbits yesterday.... or it might have only been two as it is possible he caught the same one three times....
Being unwilling to kill a poor defenseless rabbit he spent the afternoon rescuing the bunny from the clutches of the cat and returning it to the rabbit hole.....

Less nice things about rural living

There was a possum in the live trap yesterday morning so husband dispatched it before going to work and left it (actually a her) in the cage until he came home. I wandered out later to find a bald baby possum scrabbling round the cage trying to escape.

Yuukkkk, they have to die but sometimes you feel so nasty....

Dumped the whole lot in the rainwater barrel which was full enough to completely cover the cage. Hopefully it was quick...

Blah - but it's all good

WORST dose of chemo ever yesterday and today I am just about at the point where I wonder if dying isn't preferable to feeling like this. Not good - but it will pass.

The good news is it is working, the scan shows the tumours are definitely smaller, so I just have to hang in there. Half way through, three doses down and three to go.

Hmmm - famous in my own mind?

Was over at Sunny O seeing if Llew had been up to anything in the last 24 hours and found a new link on his sidebar Generation Blog - New Zealand Bloggers Aggregator (well a previously unexplored link anyway, not sure how long it has been there) and there I am... along with some interesting other people (far more interesting than me).

Not sure what to say really - doubt I'm worthy. Good site for avid blog readers.

Big horse can't jump

Given the fact that I am dead lazy I avoid walking down the farm twice a day to feed anyone with a complex arrangement of electric fencing that gives the horses a track up to the yard and their dinner while keeping them off the paddocks that are regrowing grass (it is to be hoped they are growing anyway) . One day we might get the fencing all sorted and a raceway down the property so we can drive or whatever. The cows are currently on holiday at the neighbours which saves a bale of hay a day.

This morning we moved the horses into about an eighth of the very back paddock. Offer them new grass and they all go 'Wahoo' and canter round kicking their heels up for at least half an hour. This annoys me somewhat as they tear up all this good grass but can't think of a way to stop them so I just enjoy watching them being happy horses.

Today they were playing games round a log that is lying on the ground in their new bit. The minis jump it, but Kiwi can't jump... it has obviously never occurred to him that he can go over things rather than round. So here they are in a line, with Calypso the smallest leading... pops over the log, kicks his heels in the air and carries on, followed by Brandy who also jumps it and clears off after him. Kiwi bringing up the rear canters up to the log, goes "Eek that is at least a foot and a half high" jams on the brakes, trots round the log and charges down the paddock with his tail in the air. Clueless animal... at least it means he stays behind baby sized electric fences.

Headhunting

Man I know a little who works for a rival company turned up on my doorstep yesterday and after enquiring after my health (which he had heard about because this town is full of gossip) said I should see him if I ever wanted to discuss a change of employment. I said thanks I would - see him if I ever wanted to...

Flattering, and I've been sidled up to before and offered jobs, but sort of weird... I didn't think I under-rated my talents but perhaps I'm even better than I thought.

Thinking about the last post

I suspect Telecom secretly hates anyone who lives in town too - it's only the money that they like.

Have emailed them pointing out their obligations - with a cut and paste out of their own website extolling the virtues of their wonderful fast internet for country people, which nearly everyone can get!

They have advised me that I am not apparently nearly everyone and they are sorry about that but I am a special case.
Funny, I was a special case in Nelson too. In fact we were so special up our valley 10 minutes out of Nelson that people couldn't even get a phone line for six months because despite being paid by the subdivider to provide a phone line to every LSB Telecom hadn't provided sufficient lines.

And fast internet in Nelson? In ya dreams...

I HATE monopolies

Telecom secretly hates anyone who lives in the country

Or perhaps not so secretly.

Yeah I know we live 5km down a gravel road. But honestly that doesn't mean we live in the middle of no where... in fact we are conveniently positioned with good (if a little muddy) access to most places. And it isn't as though the nearest neighbour is miles away.

I am sick of slow dial up internet access. And as work will probably make a contribution to faster access I have been trying to get some.

Broadband - no, the exchange is too old, and they have no plans to upgrade it, but they will note my interest in broadband. I might be able to get wireless...

Wireless - no, the nearest wireless access is in Pyes Pa, that's about 15km away. Now come on we can get cell phone reception here (admittedly not great but we can get it) wireless works through cellphone towers why can't I have wireless? Just can't, but they'll note my interest. Satellite is the only option.

Satellite - maybe, that will be $3000. Oh right. I'll think about this a little more.

Wasn't there some agreement, in fact Telecom have a contract, to supply broadband to the rural community?

I am SO not impressed.